I often write about my love for integrated approaches to farming.  One fascinating way the beauty and power of a systems approach is manifested is in relation to how we tackle the work of solving challenges or problems.  It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking big problems call for grand, complex solutions.  But that’s not always the case.

Equinox is a reminder to shift gears. It’s time to distill things down to the essence.  Our human lives need calming simplicity so that we can grasp the gorgeousness of diversity, so that we can hold space for all we can’t understand, so that we can respect the intelligence of the deep adversity inherent in working, healthy systems. 

Another revolution of food production, of network connections, of sharing and caring and being in this world together is moving closer toward completion. Mentally, this time of year is a different dance.  One moment I’m rested enough to delight in hopeful dreams of big changes for the coming year, the next I think only of moving one foot in front of the other. 

Over the years, I’ve written quite a bit about my belief in systems thinking, that we are all connected, that my farm is full of intricate, never-ending exchanges and interactions of a complexity hard to imagine.  Yes... hard to imagine until smoke fills our skies and we realize how even clean air is a common language.

Fall is the time of year things start to come full circle and I begin to question what I think I know.  I become curious about the disconnect between my expectations and the actual experience of my life.